Gold Rush
by Hexpracis
Summary: After setting sail in order to gather intel on the people who murdered her family, will Nysund Rika achieve her goals or go insane by the hands of her new and outrageous crew? Likely Zoro/OC pairing in the future. Rated M for language, violence and sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, everyone! I've dabbled with writing my own short stories here and there and recently I've decided to try my hand at fanfiction. This is the first chapter of my first ever fanfic, so creative criticism is always welcome! I realize that this chapter is pretty dry and unfortunately awkward, but try to bare with me. Well, enough with my ramblings and on to the story!

The cries of seagulls echoed throughout the clear sky as the tide pulled a small, tattered boat to shore. Inside, a form stirred from beneath a cover of blankets. Stretching arms up and throwing a foot on the wooden seat, the person inside pried their eyes open to observe their surroundings.

Confused, they found themselves washed ashore to an island. Their brows furrowed together. "No, this can't be right. I anchored myself down before I went to sleep..." Using the sides of the boat as leverage, the girl pulled herself up into a better sitting position in hopes of gaining some level of understanding. A groan forced its way from her throat as she stared at the frayed rope that had been holding the anchor. At some point during the night, it had weakened and frayed apart.

The girl sighed and hoisted herself from the small boat, onto the shore. The sand glowed warmly from the sun and the quiet bustling from the nearby town gave the place a pleasant aura. Deciding to look about, the person leaned into the boat and pulled out two backpacks of supplies and a large, black leather coffin. She buckled the brown leather strap across the shoulder of her white button up shirt, supporting the coffin on her back. The other two backpacks were simply slung over the opposite shoulder. With one last reach into the boat drew out what was best described as a knife attached to a long, thin chain. With a sharp flick of the wrist, the tool wound around her left wrist and up her arm, stopping just below the elbow.

What appeared to be a knife, was actually a grappling hook, designed to double as a weapon. It was in four separate hooks with a hinge in the bend of each hook. When used as a grappling hook, each "knuckle" bent forward. When used as a long ranged weapon, each section locked at the tip, forming a knife similar to a kunai. The chain was thin and flat, resembling chain mail plating as it wound up the woman's slender arm. At a glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an armored sleeve. The toritsuru, as it was called, truly was a "trick tool."

Reaching into a backpack, the girl pulled out a map. Looking at the mark she had placed before falling asleep, attempted a rough calculation of her whereabouts. 'If I slept for,' she took a moment to glance at the placement of the sun, 'four hours, I couldn't have traveled too far. In that time, the only island I could have found is..!' "Fantastic. Leave it to me to wash up on Yotsuba Island," she muttered. With any luck, nobody would recognize her.

Walking from shore to the town, a few signs confirmed her greatest worries. She had washed up in Shells Town. While the name may sound harmless enough, there was a Marine Base stationed in the town, something she greatly would like to have avoided.

A hand slid up to her throat, fingers skimming across the silken, sky blue scarf that tied thinly across her skin. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep the Marine's attention away from her. She sighed and shook her head, crimson hair softly swaying with the movement.

Cobblestone clicked under the soles of her combat boots as she made her way down the street, fuchsia eyes scanning the buildings for a potential food court. Deeming the place, "Food Foo," sufficient, the girl made her way into the restaurant and took a seat at a small table.

A waitress sporting a deep green t-shirt beneath a soft green dress made her way over, smiling warmly. The sway in her hips gave her body a gentle appearance, almost motherly.

"What could I get for you today, Miss?" she asked, tucking her medium length, chestnut hair behind her ear. The woman's voice was warm and friendly, matching the rest of her.

"Chazuke, please," the girl requested politely.

"Umeboshi or salmon?"

"Umeboshi. And could I get some tea, as well?"

The woman's face became mildly troubled, but smiled nonetheless. "Of course, dear. All we have is bancha, though.. Is that okay?" The redhead gave the waitress a puzzled look, but nodded.

Her confusion was caused by learning that the obviously prosperous restaurant had only bancha tea, the low grade of traditional green tea. She gazed about the place, observing the lovely quality of food and the abundance of people. It wasn't a classy restaurant by any means, but it certainly wasn't suffering any hardships.

As the girl waited for her food, she took the opportunity to relax and enjoy the pleasantries of the Food Foo. At a table nearest, however, a small boy with very round glasses, an almost equally round face and pink hair cried over his empty dinner plate, interrupting the peace. 'Hm,' she thought, 'perhaps the food isn't as good as it appeared.'

The boy sitting parallel to him, however, held a wide grin on his face as he rested his hand on his stomach. The boy looked about her own age, perhaps younger, with a scar under his left eye, a red vest, blue cutoff shorts and flip flops. Atop of his head sat an old looking straw hat with a red ribbon.

"We'll go our separate ways here, Coby! You do your best to be a great Marine, alright?" His shaggy black hair fell in front of his eyes as his already impossibly large grin spread further across his face.

"I will!" the pink haired boy, presumably Coby, sniffled, "Thank you so much, Luffy-San! And you have to become a great pirate even though that means we'll be enemies!" Coby wiped the tears from his eyes and stared at his friend with determination. The girl cocked an eyebrow at the strange duo.

The waitress returned at this time, placing the food in front of her. The fragrance of tea wafted through her nose as she inhaled deeply.

"Say, I wonder if Zoro is still being kept at the Marines' base," Luffy asked his friend. People in every direction screamed in horror, falling over. Even the waitress fumbled a small tea plate as she was placing it. The two boys look up at the reactions.

"I guess we can't go around yelling out the name 'Zoro,'" Coby whispered to his startled companion who nodded in agreement.

Thanking the swiftly retreating waitress, the girl quietly ate her lunch, listening to the two boys who had seemed to have peaked her interest. Although their conversation held no meaning to her, she found the way the communicated to be interesting, albeit a tad foolish.

"I saw a sign outside saying that Lieutenant Morgan is stationed at this base," the pink haired boy said thoughtfully.

Again, everybody in the area reacted strongly, more so than upon hearing Zoro's name. People were either frozen in place or had thrown themselves to the back of restaurant. This time even their evesdropper dropped her utensils with a clatter, swivelling her head to look Coby dead in the eyes. For a moment, everything froze as the girl's heated gaze blazed through him.

Coby gulped, breaking his eye contact with her, briefly. As he shifted his glance back at, she was already back to eating her food as though nothing had happened. At this time, he noticed the large coffin propped against the back of her seat. 'Woah,' Coby thought, 'Scary...'

She glared down at her empty cup and bowl, spinning the cup around. 'I can't understand... Why did everybody have the same reaction as me?' Leaving payment and a tip, she swiftly left the food court.

Taking long, sure strides as she carried herself down the road, the girl found herself in front of tall walls that surrounded the Marine Base. With a sharp snap of her arm, the toritsuru unwound itself. Pushing a switch at the base of the blade, the knife's edges bent forward into a grappling hook. Releasing a foot of chain, she spun the grappling hook around and took aim before casting it to the top of the wall. Tugging a few times to make sure it was secure, she quickly pulled herself up enough to peek over the top.

"It looks pretty ugly from up close," a voice from behind mused.

The sounds caught her attention and in a moment of panic, her fingers slipped from the ledge. Between body weight and momentum, the grappling hook was pulled from its place, sending her plummeting towards the ground and landing flat on her back, which also homed a rather hard, leather coffin.

The redhead groaned before prying her fuchsia eyes open and sitting up. Two people loomed over her, one in shock and the other simply curious.

"W-what are YOU doing here!?" The pink haired boy cried, holding his arms up as if trying to protect himself. She grunted and pulled herself to her feet.

"I could ask you the same thing," she muttered while brushing dust from her backside.

"Coby's here to enlist in the Marine's!" the boy with the straw hat said gleefully.

"Now wait a second, Luffy," Coby began to protest. Fuchsia eyes narrowed at him, giving him a similar look as they had in the restaurant.

"So, you want to be Morgan's underling, huh?" her voice was cool, but her eyes reflected something akin to malice.

Coby gulped, trying to fake a brave front as he stood his ground, "Who are you to ask that!?" he yelled, shrilly.

A chuckle escaped her lips as she relaxed. The boy obviously held no ill intentions by becoming a part of the Marine's. "My name is Nysund Rika," she said in a lighter voice which left Coby completely befuddled, unable to keep himself from wondering if the woman was bipolar.

By now, Luffy was hanging over the side of the wall. His backside dangled as he turned his head about as though searching for something.

"Demonic beast? I wonder if I can see him from here" Luffy mused with a laugh.

'Demonic beast?' Rika thought, puzzled.

"You can't find him that easily, Luffy-San! He's probably locked in the bowels of the prison or something," the girl gave Coby a confused look as Luffy dropped from the wall and began to run off.

The two followed Luffy as he ran further down the wall and climbed up the side. This time instead of using the toritsuru, Rika simply scaled the wall. "There he is!" Luffy grinned.

Beside her, Coby struggled to climb up, his small body hanging limply as he clung to the edge.

No sooner had he reached the top, his entire body froze and he dropped to the ground. Rika gazed in the courtyard then back at Coby.

"What's wrong, Coby?" she asked.

"That black bandana! A haramaki sash! I-it's really him! That's Roronoa Zoro! He has such an intimidating aura...!" Coby's voice came out shakily as a cold sweat dripped down his back. Rika could see the tremor of fear as it passed through his body. She couldn't help the amused chuckle as it left her lips.

She and Luffy looked back at the man to get a better look. 'So, this is Roronoa Zoro?' Rika thought, looking at him carefully. He was tied to a thick post that had another slightly thinner post running across at shoulder height to make for a cross shape, rope tightly bound around his waist and arms. He slouched against his restraints, keeping his head down. From what observation alone could tell, he was a tall and quite muscular. Although appearing dirty and battered, one could still tell the shirt he wore was supposed to be a white t-shirt that sloped into a slight v-neck. He wore a green haramaki as well as black pants and black boots, both with a light layer of dirt covering them.

"So, that's Zoro?" Luffy observed, "Those ropes look pretty simple to untie to me." The straw hatted boy drawled as his rear swayed in the air behind him.

"No way, Luffy-San!" Coby screamed in a panic, rapidly pulling himself back up the wall, "He could kill you and even wreak havoc on this town if you set him free!"

Considering this man was known as 'Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro,' Rika couldn't help but to think on Coby's words. Even if he wouldn't necessarily destroy the town, Luffy was, from what she had gathered, a pirate. A pirate releasing a pirate hunter from his confines didn't strike her as a good idea, however she kept the thought to herself.

"Hey, you!" a voice called, pulling Rika from her thoughts. She and Luffy snapped their heads back towards the restrained man. He had lifted his head to face them, his bandana shadowing his eyes. Even from where Rika was perched, she could see a smirk on his face. "Come over here and untie me, would ya? I've been tied up for nine days and I'm exhausted."

"Look, he's smiling," Luffy stated.

"He...! He talked...!" Coby sunk lower in an attempt to shield himself from the man's gaze. The young boy was quite obviously intimidated by the presence of a man who had been referred to as a demon.

"I'll repay you," Zoro continued to bargain, "I could hunt down a pirate with a huge bounty and give you the reward. Honest. I'm a man of my word." His eyes traced over Rika and for the first time she noticed the three golden earrings that hung from his ear.

"No, Luffy-San!" Coby fought, "He's lying, I just know it! If you free him he'll kill us all and escape!" The edge in his voice caused Zoro's grin to widen, drawing pride from the reaction even his weakened state brought.

"I won't let him kill us," Luffy looked at Zoro, smiling, "He can't because I'm strong, too." Zoro merely scoffed at the straw hatted boys claim, tone coated with disbelief.

Rika glanced towards Luffy, eyeing the boy skeptically. Unintentionally sizing him up, she couldn't help but to think that he wouldn't stand a chance against the muscular man known for his ruthless swordsmanship. In comparison, Luffy appeared to be little more than a scrawny, foolish kid.

The sound of wood hitting stone seized Rika's train of thought as she watched a small girl scurry up the newly placed ladder. The trio watched as she placed a finger to her lips and motioned for the three to be quiet. Hopping over the side, she scurried towards Zoro.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Zoro ground out, "Get lost! Do you have a death wish?" Rika watched in curiosity as Coby tried to persuade Luffy to stop the girl.

"Onii-San! I made some rice balls for you!" Dismissing his words, she presented Zoro with two rice balls, "You haven't eaten for a long time, so you must be hungry! This is the first time I've ever made rice balls, though..."

"I'm not hungry!" Zoro roared, "Go away! I'll kill you if you don't leave! I don't want it!" Fuchsia eyes watched on as sharp ears detected a tone of panic in his voice.

"Roronoa Zoro," a voice chimed as an odd looking man strode into the courtyard with two Marines by his side, "Don't pick on children or else I'll just have to report it to Father." The man was thin with a blonde mushroom cut, thick, dark eyebrows and a very prominent cleft chin. Around his neck, he wore a golden beaded necklace and two golden rings were placed upon his left middle finger. His suit was a deep, navy blue with the inside lined with red. The top was held closed by six golden buttons.

"That guy's weird," Luffy commented.

"Thank goodness, it's the Marine's. The girl will be safe," Coby sighed in relief. Rika, however, watched on. Something about this newcomer didn't sit right with her, especially how Zoro's hair practically bristled as he made his way over.

Zoro scoffed, "Well, if it isn't the Lieutenant's bastard son." His voice was deep and gruff as he glowered at the other man, bringing a light shade of pink to Rika's cheeks. The flush quickly disappeared, however, as she realized this meant the man a short distance away was of relation to Morgan.

The blonde merely shrugged, shooting the restrained pirate hunter a glare. "Don't get cocky with me! You're in no position to insult me, my father is a Marine Lieutenant!"

Switching his gaze to the small girl, he crouched down to her level. "Hello, there. Did you bring these rice balls for me? The look awfully tasty!" Ignoring her protests, the blonde swiped one of the rice balls from the girl's grasp, taking a large bite. His eyes widened as he spit the piece of food out.

"Disgusting!" He spat, "You used sugar, you're supposed to use salt in these things!" Throwing the rice ball in his hand on the ground, he kicked the other piece of offending food that the girl was still holding to join it. Stomping it into the ground, a sly grin spread across his face. "Don't worry, little girl, the ants will eat them!" Throwing one of his accompanied Marine's a glance, he ordered, "Throw this brat out over the wall or I'll tell my daddy on you!"

The girl could do nothing but wail as the Marine gave her a regretful look, before tossing her as gently as one could over the wall. Rika watched with a grim expression as Luffy threw himself at the girl to catch her. Coby dropped from the wall, checking on Luffy and the girl. Noting that the pair were alright, the redhead turned back to watch the scene before her. Luffy climbed back up the wall, gazing at the woman beside him for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the men, as well.

"Roronoa Zoro, I'm impressed that you have this kind of endurance," the cocky man taunted.

"Damn right," Zoro snarled. Rika eyed him with interest. Even tied, beaten and hungry, the man managed to give off an emanating sense of danger. "I'll make it the rest of the month, then you'll let me go!"

"That's right," the blonde chimed, "I'll keep my word. You live like this for a month and I'll release you. Good luck!" he laughed darkly as he and his Marine bodyguards left.

Zoro closed his eyes to help regain his composure before opening them again. When he did, he saw a straw hatted boy and an odd looking woman not too far behind standing in front of him. His eyes trailed over their figures.

"You still haven't left yet?" Zoro drawled, his deep voice laced with exhaustion, "You know, if you don't, Helmeppo will tell his father about it."

Luffy cocked a crooked grin at the man as she hung back. "Oh yeah? I'm looking for someone to join my pirate crew."

"Gave up on life to become a petty crook?" He chuckled darkly, "And you think I'll join you if you untie me that I'll join your crew? No way!"

Rika took the moment to better observe the pirate hunter in front of her, surprised at how young he was. He looked only slightly younger than herself, by a year or so, with gleaming, dark eyes. Beneath his bandana, tufts of jade hair contrasted against his tanned skin and golden earring chimed softly as his head moved. A frown suddenly formed on his lips as dark eyes met fuchsia. Zoro's frown only deepened at the connection, feeling as though her abnormally coloured eyes were looking straight through him.

"Do you need something?" He snapped at in an attempt to mask how unnerved her scrutiny was making him. Rika dropped her gaze from Zoro and he mentally sighed in relief. "Could you at least convince your captain to leave me alone?"

Rika chuckled, raising her eyes back up to meet his. "He's not my captain. I hardly know his name," a smile played across pink lips before her expression turned serious. "On the other hand, you don't look so well," the girl stated obviously.

The already aggravated swordsman gave the woman an incredulous look before yelling, "I've been here for weeks, of course I don't look so good!" Rika replied with only a small grin at the disbelief written across the man's face. Zoro sighed before returning his attention to the grinning boy in front of him. "Hey, kid. Could you feed that to me?" Zoro eyed the muddy rice ball, but not without apprehension

Luffy gave the green haired man in front of him a strange look before picking the squashed food up, along with a wad of dirt that had mixed in with the rice ball. "Are you sure you really want to eat this? I know you must be hungry, but..." Luffy's voice trailed out as he fed it to the bound man, who for his part, choked it down. "I guess food is food when you're hungry"

After coughing, the swordsman gave Luffy a somber look. "Tell the little girl," he coughed again, perspiration on his brow and eye twitching, "Tell her I said thanks. Tell her that the rice ball was great," Luffy just beamed at the man in front of him while Rika's expression remained unreadable.

Coby glanced up at the fire haired woman walking alongside him, completely on guard. Something about her put him on edge, however the boy remained unable to pinpoint what exactly it was. Coby's eyes widened amusingly wide as fuchsia slits landed on him and a small smile graced her lips.

"Would you like a picture, my dear?" Coby screamed at the comment, realizing that he had been caught staring. Rika's voice was soft and teasing as she laughed at the small boy's reaction.

"Luffy-San!" he shouted out, "Make her go away, she doesn't need to be with us!" Coby hollered, surprising the elders of the small group. He didn't see any reason as to why the girl with the unsettling eyes had to travel with them; she arrived by herself and she could leave the same way.

A frown marred Rika's face, she hadn't intended to upset the skittish boy. Glancing towards Luffy, she shifted the coffin on her back. It was no wonder she had frightened Coby with the large, leather mass strapped to her body. The trio had stopped in the middle of a street outside of Food Foo, Coby's shouting drawing a fair amount of attention.

"I know why I recognize her, Luffy-San," Coby pointed an accusing finger at her, eyes wild and pink hair swinging as he whipped his head about, "Rika's a pirate! She's with the Blackbeard Pirates!"

Rika's eyes flew open and her body went absolutely rigid. She looked towards Luffy, looking for some sort of defense, eyes pleading for help as the small boy continued to scream at her. Luffy gazed back, saying nothing with a frown marring his face. Rika helplessly looked between the straw hatted boy and the fuming kid before running off in the opposite direction.

Here she is, the beginning of a new adventure! Thank you for making it through this first chapter.

-Hexpracis


	2. Chapter 2

2

Leather boots trudged down the walk as sharp eyes scanned the area. It hadn't taken long for Rika to deem her new, short lived companions too dangerous. If Coby had known she had connections to the Blackbeard Pirates, who else knew? The Marines didn't appear to be on her tail, so how had he known?

"Huh?" Rika's head snapped up as she heard a booming laugh from around the corner. Reflexes taking over, her body pressed itself in a small alleyway against a cold, stone building. Heavy, clumsy footsteps stomped around the corner followed by a group of quieter footsteps and erratic hound-like clicking.

"I'll show him," a whining voice laughed as a flash of blonde hair stopped outside of her hiding spot, "If Roronoa Zoro thinks he can get away with humiliating me, he deserves to die," an ugly hound poked its face into the alley and looked at Rika before wandering away, "Tomorrow is as good a day as any, right? Why prolong the inevitable? May as well be public!" Helmeppo laughed before turning on his heel and walking away leaving Rika staring wide eyed at the ground.

'He's going to kill Zoro tomorrow!?' Without further thought, the redhead darted from the alley and towards the Marine Base.

Heels tore around the street as Rika sprinted, using her gathered momentum to spring up and pull herself over the stone wall that held the Marine Base. Silently, she stepped towards the restrained swordsman who had yet to notice her presence. She observed him, slouched down in what she assumed was a sleeping position. His breathing sounded laboured and, despite being sun-kissed, his skin held an unhealthy paleness.

"Are you just going to stare, or what?" Zoro's deep voice was stained with exhaustion, yet still held a concise clarity. The jade haired man lifted his chin to look at the woman before him, exasperation written across his face.

"You're going to die," Rika said, flatly. Zoro's expression went from blank to on offense. Eyes sharp, lips pulled back in a snarl and a dark, malevolent aura pooled from his being.

"What's that supposed to mean, wench?" Zoro barked, his state of health forgotten. Rika tossed the man a bored look before turning to look at the Marine Base.

"Helmeppo's going to kill you," her voice was low, solemn, "I heard him say it just after I parted ways with those guys. He has no intention in holding up his end of the bargain," The air between the two was tense, dark eyes boring into fuchsia.

"That's impossible, you wench," Zoro grunted, looking at the woman in front of him in disbelief, "The Lieutenant's idiot son promised-"

"People lie, Zoro, all the time," Rika's eyes flashed dangerously, "And if you call me 'wench' one more time, I'll see to it myself that Helmeppo won't have to kill you, himself," Zoro glowered at the teasing tone the woman's voice held. He let out a weary sigh, dropping his head.

"If what you say is true, I need to get out of here. Can you hel-" His sentence was cut off by a blur of red and blue, crashing down by his feet. Rika shielded her face as Zoro choked on the airborne dust.

"What the hell, kid!? You sure have a lot of spare time," the vein in Zoro's throat throbbed as he looked at the boy dusting himself off. Luffy straightened himself before fixing his hat, a wide grin stretched across his face. He spared Rika only the barest of glances and returned his attention back to the swordsman.

"I'll let you go if you join my crew!" Luffy declared with excitement. The redhead could only groaned as she watched the two in their exchange. As the level of their bickering rose, Rika took it upon herself to scout the Base.

'This is a base, so it will be heavily guarded. It'll take some doing for me to find Morgan without getting my face blown off," without sound, Rika slinked off towards the looming, stone building ahead.

From a distance, one could have mistaken the building for twin volcanoes. Up close, however, it was very much a singular building with smooth, polished marble walls. Fuchsia eyes scanned the unusual structure as sharp ears kept alert in case of any unwanted visitors before a window in back was deemed the safest point of entry. Releasing a few feet of her makeshift grappling hook, Rika twirled the metal contraption before casting it upwards. The claws of the hook snagged a window and with a glance over her shoulder and a sharp tug, she began her ascension.

Rika grit her teeth as she struggled to keep her footing. She was no stranger to scaling buildings, but the smooth walls proved very troublesome. Her arms began to ache and a bead of sweat trickled down her back as she hoisted herself through the window, tumbling to the floor. A heavy sigh of relief left her lips while she got to her feet and coiled the toritsuru back around her arm. Adjusting the coffin on her back, Rika glanced about her surroundings. She found herself to be in, what she assumed to be a casually used room. It had a minimal amount of decor with only a table, a bed and what looked to be an old warrior's helmet with three samurai swords beneath. Rika made her way to the door and pressed her ear against it. Hearing nothing, she slid from the room and made her way quietly down the hall.

'It seems odd that there's nobody around. Where is everyone?' The redhead narrowed her eyes as she glanced out a window. There was Coby, digging his small fingers into the knots restraining Zoro's wrists. She only hoped the fool wouldn't get himself caught.

Rika trailed her fingers along the wall as she skulked silently through the hall, sharp eyes and ears concentrating for any unwanted company. Moments later, Rika found herself in front of a crimson door. Without hesitation, she swung it open and stepped into the room, door slamming against the wall as she entered.

Fuchsia eyes snapped open as they scanned the unexpectedly empty room. Rika snapped her head back, gazing at the door clearly labeled 'Lieutenant Morgan.' An unamused snarl passed her lips before she heard commotion from the roof.

A sudden jarring of the building had Rika grasping to a wall in order to keep her balance, followed by a large crash. She eyed the cracked ceiling. Whatever was going on up there was bad and she needed to get out from the room. Now.

It wasn't long after her lithe body made it back into the hall that the weakened ceiling gave and crumbled, destroying a small desk placed in the center. It also wasn't long after, that Rika spotted a blur of red, blue and blonde dashing towards her and finding herself being pulled along behind.

"You better keep up, Rika!" Luffy looked at her with a wide grin and a mischievous glint in his eyes, "These guys are pissed!" The boy holding onto her wrist tightened this grasp and gave a sharp tug, allowing Rika to observe the situation she had literally been dragged into. A near-unconscious Helmeppo was being towed along by Luffy as a small horde of Marines were after them. The trio tore around the corner and the blonde made a small noise in his dazed state.

"You passed it," he groaned as Luffy skidded to a halt, nearly throwing Rika off balance as she struggled to keep up with the erratic movements of the boy.

"Stop right there!" An aggravated sigh left pink lips as Rika glared at the Marine's pointing guns at them. She straightened her posture, prepared to take out the Marine's herself. Reaching behind, Rika released one bronze clasp from the coffin on her back.

"Hey, you brat! What do you think you're doing!?" A shrill holler came from the previously silent Helmeppo as he was forcefully shoved in front of Luffy and herself.

"Go ahead and shoot if you want," Luffy tossed the Marine's a teasing look as he held the flailing blonde as a shield. Shocked looks and slacked jaws were their only opposition as the trio shimmied into the room closest, Rika recognizing it as the one she had entered through the window. Wasting no time, she jumped from the window and using her trick tool, lowered herself to the ground. There was little chance she was going to get caught in the middle of a crossfire before getting the information she sought after.

The redhead's body went rigid as a gunshot rang through the air, followed by a scream. Fuchsia orbs slid to the courtyard of the Marine Base to see a multitude of soldiers and a small pink and white mass writhing on the ground. A small spot of red bloomed across his shirt as Coby struggled to his feet, a lineup of Marine's preparing to finish the job.

A deep sense of dread expanded in Rika's stomach and a haunted look darkened her unusually coloured eyes. It was a situation not unfamiliar to the girl and while in the present, seeing the fire squad surfaced dark memories from the past. Without taking the time to assess the course of her actions, Rika threw herself forward, unwinding the toritsuru from her arm.

"Get away from them!" With lethal precision, Rika flung the blade forward. Smooth as butter, the sharpened edge burrowed itself into the arm of the man furthest away. With an immense strength unexpected from a woman of her size, she hauled back on her tool, pulling the man on a collision course with everyone else in the fire squad.

Even from his distance, Zoro could see the way her body trembled and the ashen colour her sun kissed skin had taken on. It hadn't taken him long to figure out why as a large mass moved in behind the fallen Marines. An axe came down on the chain, severing the links between Rika and the blade of her toritsuru. An action, Zoro realized, that would likely render her defenseless.

"Get to your feet, men! If you can be taken down so easily by a woman, you don't deserve to be a Marine! And you better not let that straw hatted fool escape from here, either" A huge mountain of a man loomed behind the struggling Marine's as the got back to their feet. He was a deeply tanned man with blonde hair kept in a crewcut and a large, steel jaw with the lettering "MOWE" engraved in the chin. He stalked towards Rika, pale blue captain's coat fluttering behind him, and all Zoro could do was watch as Marine Lieutenant "Axe Hand" Morgan drew back his leg and kicked her towards he and Coby.

"That's enough of you three, die here!" The Marine's once again drew their weapons and fired.

Coby screamed, Zoro's face twisted into a look of panic and Rika's eyes slid shut in a moment of acceptance as she waited for the inevitable connection of bullets to flesh. She waited and waited and- Rika cracked an eye. It shouldn't take that long for a bullet to close such a short distance, should it?

Her jaw slacked at the sight before her. There Luffy stood, using his body as a human shield and, instead of the numerous bullet wounds that should have riddled his body, his flesh stretched in a multitude of directions, stopping the lethal projectiles from hitting them. Just as quickly as the bullets hit him, they snapped back and flung in the opposite direction.

"What the hell, kid!? What are you!?" Zoro's eyes had grown so wide, they looked liable to fall out from his face. Luffy merely grinned and presented the jade haired man with three swords.

"I didn't know which sword was yours," Rika couldn't help but to watch the exchange between the two males, fascination still focused on the young, raven haired boy. "Y'know, the Marines are going to kill you if you don't fight back and you'll be a fugitive if you do." A dark grin formed on Zoro's face in grim understanding as he realized what his decision was to be.

"Well then, Captain, looks like you've got a new crewmate. Now, hurry up and get these ropes off," Rika's eyes snapped towards the horde of angry Marines as they charged towards the small group. In a quick movement, she swung her arm and the ropes binding Zoro dropped. Luffy thrust the swords at Zoro and, wasting no time, he shielded them from the swords of the Marine's.

With an immense burst of strength, Luffy sent a stretching kick ahead, effectively sending the attacking Marine's away. Rika brought herself to her feet, wincing at the pain in her side. Glancing around, she found the same darkened glint in each Zoro's and Luffy's eyes that her own held. It was time to end this.

"Lieutenant Morgan, they're monsters! There's no way we can kill them!" The fallen Marines scrambled to their feet and stared at the three figures that stood, glowering at them. Something about the trio frightened them, that something likely being the look of pure malice etched into their features.

"Whoever said that," a deep voice snarled, "Take your gun and kill yourself now. I do not need useless soldiers!" If possible, the men looked even more terrified than when faced against the three supposed pirates. Unbelievably, however, one by one, each man rose his pistol and pressed it to his temple.

"What the hell are these guys doing?" Zoro mumbled. He and Rika could only watch on with mortification and disgust as each soldier prepared himself for death. The abuse of which Morgan used his power disturbed them, to say the least. Rika was beginning to think that she wouldn't have gotten any information from him, even if he had been in his office. Likely, he would have simply attacked her.

"Hey, you! I'm your enemy! If you're going to execute anyone, make it me!" Seeing the Marines preparing for death caused Luffy to snap. With a hand holding his hat in place, he lunged toward Morgan.

"You have no right to oppose me! I'm Lieutenant Axe Hand Morgan and you're nothing but scum, kid!" Morgan was absolutely seething, his entire body trembling with suppressed rage.

"My name's Luffy, nice to meet you," Luffy's voice was grave as he stared at the immense mountain of a man before him.

"Go to hell!" Morgan snarled through his steel jaw. Having enough of Luffy, he swung his arm. The axe plowed through steel and wood as he took out an entire fence, passing harmlessly by the straw hatted boy as he sprung out of the way.

Rika could only watch the odd battle with awe, observing the way Luffy's body moved. 'Could this be the work of a Devil Fruit?' She watched his body stretch as he punched the Marine Lieutenant in the chest. With every hit, fall and attack, Luffy's body merely snapped back in place. 'Like rubber,' she deduced.

"Wait!" A sudden voice echoed throughout the execution court. Luffy tossed the scene a dry look, before sending another hard punch into the Lieutenant. Helmeppo's jaw dropped before he became irritated.

"I said wait!" Everyone finally gave their attention to the blonde. There he stood, aiming a pistol straight to Coby's head. Coby, for his part, managed to fake a brave front. "If you want the boy to live, don't make another move!" Helmeppo's voice was wavering almost as much as the gun he held.

"Luffy- I... I don't want to be in your way! I'm not afraid of death!" Coby cried out, meaning etched into each word he spoke. Rika smirked, deciding that it was time to join in the action.

'Three steps is all I've got,' Rika thought before closing her eyes. It began as a cold, trickling sensation down her back. The sensation spread across her body until she was completely under its cover. Opening her eyes, Rika took a shaky breath and looked at Helmeppo.

'One,' Rika took her first step forward. 'Two,' She felt her concentration begin to slip. 'Three,' Her concentration shattered and in a rush, she appeared behind Helmeppo. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise as a warm breath brushed passed them. He didn't even notice Coby crying out to Luffy in warning. All he heard was the dark voice whispering in his ear.

"Hear that? Coby says he's not afraid of death... But you should be," Rika felt a thrilled rush as she watched the blonde fool fall in a state of petrified fear before she pulled the coffin from her back and swung it down on Helmeppo's head, crushing him into the ground.

At the same time Luffy was watching the exchange, Morgan came from behind, swinging his axe down towards Luffy. Catching Coby's cry of warning too late, he could only watch as the axe bore towards him. Before it could make impact, however, a black and green blur flashed by. With a clash of steel on steel, Morgan dropped.

"Leave it to me, Captain," Zoro smirked behind his swords. Murmurs echoed around as the Marine soldiers watched their commander fall to the dirt in defeat.

"Are you okay, Coby?" Rika asked, kneeling down to place her hands on the boy's shoulders, coffin already in its position on her back. She could feel him trembling, but Coby nodded in full appreciation. He was truly thankful that she had saved him.

"Now," Zoro's voice drawled out, "If you still want to arrest us, you better come do it." As though those were the magic words, a chorus of overjoyed cries echoes throughout the courtyard.

"They're... Happy?" Luffy said in wonder. He certainly wouldn't be very pleased if he watched a small horde of misfits take down his captain. Coby bound towards Luffy and Zoro while Rika moved at a far more relaxed pace.

"Do you know what this means?" Coby was ecstatic, a grin rivaling Luffy's splitting across his face, "The Marines didn't want to do those bad things! They really are the good guys!"

A sudden change in Zoro's posture alerted Rika. With a quick spring, she caught the falling swordsman by his arm and held him against her shoulder. Luffy and Coby both cried out, afraid that their friend was hurt. Rika smiled at the two.

"He's fine. It seems that your swordsman friend has reached his limit," Rika chuckled. These guys really were something else.

 **Okay, so here's chapter two! Sorry it took so long. I'm assistant manager where I work and it's vacation season. Everyone has been booking time off, leaving us way understaffed! Thank you for making it this far and I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Hexpracis**


	3. Chapter 3

Oh dear... I would like apologize for the delay on this chapter, especially with the amount of response I've gotten in only two chapters! No amount of work can explain the neglect. I promise to be a little more diligent!

To say upon reaching the Food Foo was chaotic would have been a complete and utter understatement. No sooner had the four walked in, they were generously greeted by townsfolk, the small girl from before and, most importantly, food. It also didn't take long before Rika became bombarded with question after question.

"What's your name?" the small girl had asked her, Zoro also sparing her a glance as she told the child that her name was Rika. Small eyes stared up in adoration as the girl was absolutely ecstatic that she shared a name with one of the saviours of her town.

"What is in that coffin!?" Next, was Coby as he stared at the leather mass attached to her back. This question caught Luffy's attention, who began to insist that it simply **had** to be a mummy who did Rika's devious bidding for her. Rika's expression darkened at the question, a sinister grin forming over her lips.

"Now, that's an interesting question," A lazy look came across her face as she hauled the coffin from her back and leaned forward on it, eyeing Coby teasingly. He once again wondered if the crimson haired woman before him suffered from some sort of mental instability.

"It holds the body of a voodoo priest within it. During the full moon, I call upon him to collect souls the souls of children, they rejuvenate my youth. I've walked this earth for three hundred years old," A wickedness flashed through her eyes as she glanced over each person at the table. Little Rika and Coby let out a shriek as the coffin gave a sudden jolt. Even Zoro had the sense to look worried as he nursed his sake.

"R-Really?" Luffy's face was mere inches from the coffin as he eyed her with an interesting mix of excitement and horror.

"Nawh," Rika tossed the kids a wink, opening the brass clasps, "It's just a guitar!" Instantaneously, everyone dropped their heads in their hands as she opened the coffin to reveal a brightly polished classical guitar.

"Are you insane!?" Zoro barked at her, not at all enjoying how Rika had played him. The woman gave the swordsman a polite smile as he fumed.

Luffy looked positively crushed as he stared at the glossed wood. A guitar was certainly less exciting than a voodoo priest and a three hundred year old woman living off of tortured souls.

"Hey, Rika," Zoro's deep voice rumbled from his chest, both girls looking at him in question. The small girl blushed and looked away, realizing the call was towards the crimson locked woman. "How did you cut me loose? Morgan clearly broke your weapon." Rika chuckled.

"I wouldn't just allow that pompous ass to kick me," Rika eyed the swordsman, "You were a necessity, I had to get you loose. Snatching a broken weapon and dashing towards you wouldn't have been a reasonable act. I retrieved it when he kicked me towards you, though I admit it was a less than ideal method," Rika rubbed her ribs painfully through the dirtied, white shirt. Light eyes narrowed as a certain straw hatted boy moved close to her face, pinching her cheek.

"You're solid," Luffy frowned while Rika raised an eyebrow in annoyance. She didn't bother to mention that humans did have the tendency to be made of solid matter. "If you're solid, how'd you do it? How'd you disappear?"

"I'm not sure I understand, Luffy," Rika feigned ignorance as a twinge of annoyance struck through her. She had thought everyone was too focused on the Captain to pay much mind to her encounter with Helmeppo. "I believe your fight with Morgan did something to your brain," she teased, hoping Luffy would let it go.

"I apologize for being such a damper on your festivities, however I have some things that require my immediate attention," Rika stood, slinging the coffin into its rightful place. She winced as she moved, favouring her uninjured side. "Thank you for your hospitality," Rika said, bowing slightly to the woman with the green dress.

"Rika," Coby cried, "You should get your ribs looked at, we've already been taken care of!" She smiled at the pink haired boy and ruffled his hair as she made her way to the door.

"I'll be fine, just a tad sore," She glanced towards Luffy and Zoro, "Perhaps we'll see each other again," Rika gave a small wave and walked out into the street.

She glanced around. Things certainly seemed much livelier than when she first arrived to Yotsuba Island. The residents had a spring in their step and some even sang their glee, finally being free from Morgan's tyranny. She only wished that she could share in their excitement. Almost grudgingly, she dragged her feet towards the base, knowing that's where they'd keep the defeated man.

Making her way to the large doors, Rika chuckled as she stepped through. _'If only it had been so easy the first time I found myself in here,'_ The Marines within gave her a grin as she strolled into the building. The marble floor was polished immaculately and contrasted almost harshly against the blue-gray walls which gave the open room an expensive, but neutral appearance.

"I would like to speak to the former Captain of this base. I believe we have some things to discuss before he's incarcerated," Rika smiled sweetly to the Marine guarding the entry to the lower levels of the structure; the dungeons. The guard briefly met fuchsia eyes before looking away, ignoring her. She frowned before straightening her back, holding herself tall on slight heels. "Do you realize who exactly it _was_ who put him down there," Her unnerving eyes narrowed and bored into his head.

"Of course, you wench!" Rika's lips pulled into a snarl, "It was a group of three kids! Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, some kid with a straw hat and a woman with long, scarlet hai- Oh," The guards tanned skin brightened into a blush as the lean woman towered over him, hair almost bristled. "My apologies, ma'am," Rika stalked past him as he bowed his head and opened the door.

The designer of the dungeon certainly wasn't the same as the one who designed the main floor. The first step down the stairs, heels met hard concrete and the walls around her were pure stone. The deeper Rika went, the more stale the air became and a damp stench invaded her senses.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the bottom. Rika's breath was slightly laboured, the discomfort in her side evolving from a dull ache to a sharp, relentless pain. She glared at the man sitting in the shadows, a soft glow emanating from vibrant eyes.

"You certainly did a number on my ribs, didn't you?" Although her voice was even, Rika's expression was pained. Morgan sat crossed legged on floor, back pressed to the stone wall and cradling the massive axe against his chest. He cracked one eye open to peer at her through the steel bars and darkness.

"Should I know you, girl?" Morgan snarled as Rika strode closer. He smirked, seeing the way she limped and held a hand to her side. "Looks like you got what you deserve, interfering with me!" Morgan's voice was powerful, bouncing from the walls and amplifying as it came back towards them.

"I'm looking for Michi Gorou. I've heard through the grapevine that you might know his whereabouts," Dark eyes met fuchsia, Morgan all but gawking at the woman before him in shock. Rika stared back, evenly.

"Michi's dead, bitch. Something you better remember," Morgan grun

ted, looking away. His posture was now rigid under Rika's relentless glare. She stalked to the cage and slammed the coffin hard against the bars.

"I am running out of patience, Morgan," Rika snipped, "Either you tell me where he is, or I'll be forced to rip your axe from your arm and use it to behead you," Morgan flew to his feet, clutching her by the throat through the steel bars. He opened his mouth to curse out an insult before falling short.

"You can't be part of the- Michi slaughtered everyone in the village. But, your eyes," Morgan was distracted just enough to allow Rika to slip from the man's powerful grasp. "Are you really part of the Nysund family?" Rika smirked and performed a small, mocking bow.

"Nysund Rika, at your service," Disbelief was clearly written across his face as he gazed intently at her, "Now that you know the circumstances, I really must insist that you tell me the location of our," she paused, "mutual friend." Morgan let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"Like I'd tell you, bitch. Maybe I should so Michi could finish what he started, but that would just be giving you what you wanted. Forget it, wench!" Morgan took his place back on the floor as Rika threw herself back on the cage. Her glare was absolutely murderous. Her mouth opened, but was abruptly cut off by the Marine guard coming down the stairs.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I'll need you to follow me," Rika gave the former Captain a glare signifying that they were far from over, before following the man back to the main floor. She quickly realized that the shooting pain was far more extreme going up the stairs than down.

Upon reaching the top, the Marine turned to her, lips pulled in a grim line. Immediately, Rika tensed, not liking the expression. Unexpectedly, the man bowed deeply.

"I would like to sincerely apologize," the Marine began, "You were part of the trio who saved our town from Morgan's tyranny and for that, I am grateful. Our problem, however, is your connection with the pirates Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro," Rika's eyes narrowed, fearing where he was going with his point, "Where you did aid in the escape of a dangerous fugitive, you have become a wanted criminal in our town. Oh!" Rika jumped at the man's loud tone, "Looks like it's time for a shift change! Now, wait right here until the next guard on shift comes to arrest you and assist you to your cell," The man smiled and winked at her as he left the area.

Rika chuckled, walking out from the building feeling utterly dissatisfied. _'I still haven't learned a thing,"_

Her heels clicked against the cobblestone road as Rika made her way back to the small, tattered boat she had originally came ashore on. She sighed, realizing that at some point, she had lost her bags full of supplies. She also realized that due to her short-lived companionship with the hyperactive rubber man and half dead swordsman, she was also a fugitive and would be unable to restock before her departure.

Throwing her coffin and broken toritsuru into the boat, Rika began to push it into the water. Stopping at the water's edge, she pulled off her boots and tossed them, too, into the wooden flooring. Wading into the water until it rose high above her hips, Rika pulled her little boat into a comfortable depth before hoisting herself into it. Pulling down the snowy white sail, she sighed as she looked down at her wet clothing.

"And I lost my bags, to boot. Now I'm stuck in these wet things," she sighed and sprawled out in front of the rudder, casually sailing south according to her compass. A smile tugged at pink lips as she gazed towards the clear blue sky, feeling the sun beating down on her already tanned skin. Rika unbuttoned her white shirt and peeled the soft material from her skin revealing a much cleaner white tanktop, figuring her clothes would dry more quickly unlayered.

It didn't take long before Rika sensed something amiss. The sweat that had been dripping down her back chilled and the air was so thick, she found herself near unable to breathe. Dark shadows fluttered from blackening clouds overhead before a sharp gust of wind tossed the boat ahead.

Quickly, Rika jumped to her feet and dropped the sails, knowing that the sudden wind would tear the delicate material to shreds if left as was. In the distance, a small but powerful typhoon could be seen spiralling in a vortex above the water. Moments later, blue sky broke through the clouds and the sea once again stilled to tranquility.

Rika cocked her head and gazed in the direction of where the typhoon had been, "What the hell was that about?" The ocean was still as glass, and the aquamarine shine reflected in Rika's eyes as she leaned over the side of the boat to gaze into its depths. It didn't take long before the sun's beating rays lulled her into peaceful slumber.

 _The small body jerked as short limbs pulled her out of bed. The air was thick with smoke and soot, coating her lungs as she inhaled._

'" _Papa?" The small girl coughed violently as another wave of smoke poured through her bedroom window. Chin length scarlet locks stuck to the back of her neck as sweat poured down her rigid spine. She drew her teddy bear close, pulling the pale blue door open._

 _Silence filled the hallway of the dual storey farmhouse as bare feet padded gently along. Her young heart hammered against her chest. It was unusually quiet, even for it being well past midnight in the small village. Not to mention, the thick smoke was causing the child immense distress._

 _A shriek threatened to spill from her lips before a wet hand clamped down over her mouth, a thick flavour of copper invading her senses. Tears trickled down her face as she thrashed in the strong arms of her captor. Blood, all she could taste was blood. The scent flooded through her nostrils, causing bile to rise in her throat._

" _Rika," a voice gasped and the girls large, fuchsia eyes finally turned to the form holding her tight, "Run."_

 _No amount of strength could have possibly stopped the scream that tore through her throat. Behind her, the form that had been holding her close had been her father, torn to shreds and bleeding. A deep slash ran down his face, through his eye, blinding the man._

 _An immense beast pulled itself from the shadows, thick tendrils of saliva pooled from its mouth. Horns emerged from its forehead and, if one were to look closely, they would see that the creature loosely held human features. Its bipedal form loomed over father and child, claws sprouting from both fingers and toes. Tangles of long, black hair draped across its back and breasts hung limply from a malnourished chest, giving the monster the fleeting image of being female._

 _The man flung his child away from himself as the beast rushed forward. His remaining eye widened as large fangs sunk into his throat, draining what little blood he had left._

 _Rika ran, from the house and across the yard where she fell to her knees crying. She was trembling so violently that she was literally vibrating as she tried to wipe her father's blood from herself, not realizing how completely covered she was. Blackness danced behind her eyes as Rika hyperventilated, effectively starving herself of oxygen and causing her body to collapse in the cold night's air. Even the fire rampaging her village wasn't enough to rouse her. In the remaining light of her consciousness, Rika saw two forms._

 _"Didn't even spare the children? I'm appalled, Akuhei," a man said teasingly to the beast. It was all she heard before the light faded from her eyes._

Fuchsia eyes snapped open, a cold sweat drenching her toned back. Rika groaned, feeling more drained than before her nap in the sun. ' _It's been a long while since I've last had_ _ **that**_ _dream… Or nightmare.'_ a sigh left sore lips as Rika ran her hands down her legs, smoothing out the now-dry material.

Bringing herself to her feet, Rika gazed towards the horizon and felt a sense of comfort upon seeing land in the distance. She suddenly felt the need to take a long, soothing walk in order to clear her mind from the past.

The small boat drifted to the dock where Rika hopped to solid land. Seconds later, she has pulled a knot tight, effectively fastening her boat in place. Rika stretched her knotted muscles, taking note of the increased temperature since Shells Town. Wrapping her fingers arounds the scarf, she tugged it free from her throat and tied it around her waist. Rika was instantly grateful for the breeze that cooled the tender skin beneath.

Feeling the splintering wood from the dock, Rika was also reminded of her lack of footwear. Deciding that it would be in her best interest to replace her boots and mend her damaged weapon, she sat on the eerily quiet dock and set off to work. Rika used the tip of her blade to pry off the broken chain link and parted the next with a frown. It was a messy job to do without proper tools, one that bent the metal of the delicate chain and caused off-balance. It was a hasty repair and Rika only hoped that she wouldn't need to put her weapon to use until the toritsuru was properly repaired.

More or less satisfied, Rika gave her weapon a sharp tug, winding it up her arm. She frowned, noticing the chink and unbalanced direction her chain had taken halfway to her elbow. Shrugging it off as something she couldn't control at the moment, Rika pulled on her boots, grabbed her coffin and began to explore.

Immediately into her journey, Rika noticed something strange. A frown marred her lips as she listened to the stilled, dead air of the town. A sense of unease washed over her in a flood and Rika decided to take higher ground to better assess her situation. She didn't know what sort of problem the town was having, but she certainly didn't want to be taken off-guard by it.

Not trusting her toritsuru to hold up, Rika scaled the building nearest with practiced grace. Looking from her vantage point, she became increasingly off put by the absolute lack of people. The entire place was desolate. Although being a port town should have offered townsfolk an ideal location for business, it was entirely abandoned; a ghost town. Or so she believed until something akin to an explosion sounded in the near distance. Rika raised an eyebrow before tearing off in the direction.

Her feet made little sound as Rika bounded towards the lingering cloud of dust. With athletic precision, she lept across from rooftop to rooftop and the closer she grew to the cloud, the more she realized that the town wasn't as empty as it appeared.

"Boss! I knew you'd come back for me!" a woman's voice cried, a final blow to the already cracked façade of tranquility. Rika peered over the edge of the building she stood on.

In the receding cloud of dust, Rika spotted two men surrounding the straw hatted boy she had met earlier that day in Shells Town. Upon further inspection, the redhead also noticed an orange haired woman that appeared to be referring to Luffy as boss. ' _Another crewmember, perhaps?'_ The lack of familiarity on Luffy's face and the smug expression plastered on the woman's mouth, however, caused Rika to doubt.

Rika's doubts were confirmed as she watched the woman run in the opposite direction of the inevitable fight. Without needing to lift a finger, the scene played out quickly in Luffy's favour; a few quick jabs had the opposing thugs in the dirt. Sliding from the rooftop, Rika dropped down next to the boy while he dusted his hat off.

"Rika!" A goofy grin spread across his Luffy's face, "You ran off so fast, where'd you go?" The redhead couldn't help but to grin at his charisma. She truly did like the boy who stood in front of her.

"I had business to address in town," Rika's grin widened at the unsatisfied glare the young boy shot her. ' _I'll do well to remember his childish antics.'_

"Wow!" A teasing voice echoed from the empty buildings surrounding them, fuchsia eyes gazed towards the orange haired girls perch atop of a building, "You took them out bare handed! You must be really strong!"

Luffy tossed the woman and irritated look. She was certainly pretty enough, her blue and white striped shirt highly contrasting with her orange hair and skirt. Her looks, however, weren't very important to the boy. What did matter was why she had called him 'boss.'

"Right. Who are you, anyway?" Cutting to the chase was something Luffy had a knack for, Rika had noticed. The odd girl tossed the boy a grin.

"I'm Nami, a thief who only steals from pirates. Hey, you're really strong! How about we partner up?" Rika couldn't help but eye the woman warily. Although she didn't tend to socialize often, Rika could feel that something about the woman was aloof. It was, after all, a trait she'd been accused for having, herself. Luffy, for his part, gave Nami an incredulous look.

"There's no way I'm teaming up with you! Rika, come on!" the boy scoffed before turning on his heel and stalking away in a manner that reminded Rika of a child. Nami frowned before scooting forward, taking care that her skirt didn't snag as she slid down from the building.

"Hey!" Nami rushed towards the duo, muttering a curse as she stepped around the unconscious pirates sprawled on the ground, "Wait a second! What's with that hat?" Seeming to refuse no as an acceptable answer, Nami continued to bombard Luffy with questions before looking at Rika as though she was just seeing the slightly older woman for the first time. "And who is she? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Yeah! Rika is a really good friend of mine!" the redhead in mention quirked her eyebrow at the statement, "and this hat is my treasure!" Luffy clutched the straw hat to his chest before continuing to walk. Nami's eyes glittered as she pranced around his heels in a way similar to a puppy begging for a biscuit.

"Treasure?" The hungry tone in Nami's voice echoed through the empty streets as the three walked along, "Does that mean there's jewels in it? A treasure map? Ooooh, I bet, it's really expensive!" The thief reached out a hand to touch the straw hat before Luffy placed it back on his head and her hand snapped back to her with a scowl.

Rika trailed behind, taking in the town around her. Everything was still in its place; the food market was still set up, albeit the food had long since spoiled, storefronts were still decorated and the only thing missing were people. It appeared as though everyone had simply vanished.

Rika frowned at the latest building they passed, the only indication that something truly was wrong. The once strong structure had crumbled, scorch marks marring the broken support beams. Walls had splintered and collapsed giving the impression that the building, or something within it, had exploded. Rika shook her head and offered a prayer for those unfortunate enough to have been within the building when _whatever_ happened, happened.

"Let's just talk in here," Nami snapped, obviously annoyed by something. She threw open a door and led the other two into the kitchen space was pleasant and warm feeling, much different from the aesthetics outside. The far wall homed a small fireplace and minimal decor was placed about. A wooden shelf with delicate china sat above the fireplace and Rika couldn't help but to wonder how old the pieces were. To the right of the fireplace, a painting of a docked boat hung above a well stocked bookcase. Overall, it was quite comfortable.

"Here. Eat." Nami eyed Luffy, showing that he was the cause of her short temper. Rika just smirked, picking up an apple and chewing on it, while Luffy all but inhaled the rest of the fruit bowl.

"Is this your house?" Rika asked while she waited for her reacquainted companion to finish stuffing his face.

"Nawh, I have no idea who lives here!" Nami laughed brightly, as though it was the most humorous proposition in the world. "Everyone who lives here is living in a shelter outside of town, hiding from the buggy pirates."

"Hm?" Luffy muttered through a mouth full of food, "Can a pirate named Nami really be that scary?" A wad of food visibly sunk down Luffy's throat, momentarily choking him. Nami's face darkened, glaring at the choking boy.

"BUGGY is the pirate, you moron!" the orange haired girl snarled, "He's a pirate known for his love of bombs." The change in the air was immediate, even Luffy stopped his snack to listen to Nami. "The children from his village were mean. They made fun of his nose and he, well, he blew them up with his Buggy Bomb. His entire village was destroyed." Her voice was dark, sullen, "And what's more, they say that Buggy has this really strange power."

Everything was quiet when Nami finished, even Luffy's chewing had ceased. It was hard to believe that someone would go to such extremes as destroying their home and everyone in it, just from a little bit of teasing. Was is possible that the villagers were that cruel, or was this pirate truly that insane? Rika was sure she knew the answer to the question.

"So," Luffy drawled, breaking the silence, "Why isn't there anyone here in _this_ village, then?" Both women froze and gazed at Luffy, only it was Nami who finally snapped, asking if he had even bothered to listen. Rika presumed not. "Not to mention, Nami, doesn't that mean that you're stealing from the poor villagers?"

The scream that emitted from the woman's throat was nearly supersonic as she slammed her palms down. "How dare you compare me to the common thief, huh!?" Rika chuckled, watching the two younger ones bicker. It was almost a nostalgic feeling, bringing her back to the days when she and her best friend- ' _Where did_ _ **that**_ _thought come from?'_

"I **need** to steal," Nami continued, "to get one-hundred-thousand beris and buy a village!" A bright grin crossed the girl's face before hauling out an old, battered looking map. "And I'm going to use this to travel the Grand Line to steal from pirates who have even more treasure!" A glazed look crossed Nami's face and Rika could tell by the expression the orange haired girl wore that she was light years away from reality.

Luffy gazed at her with a thoughtful look. Rika chuckled as she pictured steam coming from the boy's ears from the gears turning so hard.

"Nami," he began, "Do you know how to navigate?"

Annnnnnnnnd cut. I decided to stop here because it has the opportunity to make a great lead in for the next chapter. Thanks again for the continued support so early on, I love all the messages and reviews I've gotten!


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